Monday, 22 August 2016

National Day Rally 2016

Anxiety, then relief, as PM Lee Hsien Loong completes rally after taking illHe falters and is helped off stage but returns smiling and looking well
By Tham Yuen-C, Assistant Political Editor, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong drew a standing ovation from a relieved audience when he resumed his National Day Rally speech last night, after he was suddenly taken ill while addressing the nation on live television.At about 9.20pm, 2½ hours into the rally, he paused, faltered and appeared unable to continue. Three ministers and several security officers rushed up on stage as the audience in the auditorium at ITE College Central - as well as those watching on TV - looked on anxiously.He was helped off the stage but waved as he left.Some in the audience went outside to the reception area, while others stayed in their seats. The mood was sombre. About 10 minutes later, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that a medical team attending to him had assessed that his condition was not serious. The mood became perceptibly lighter.Twenty minutes after that, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced that Mr Lee would resume his speech. The PMO also said that Mr Lee had felt "unsteady because of prolonged standing, heat and dehydration". It added: "His heart is fine and he did not have a stroke."At 10.40pm, he returned to speak for another 15 minutes. He looked well and thanked the audience for waiting for him.Smiling, he said: "I've never had so many doctors look at me all at once. They think I'm all right but anyway I'm going to have a full check-up after this. But before that I'd like to finish my speech."After the rally, he went to the Singapore General Hospital for a check-up.The rally is where Mr Lee traditionally spends the better part of three hours mapping out the Government's plans for Singapore, speaking first in Malay, then Mandarin and English.Yesterday, in marked contrast to last year's celebratory rally during Singapore's 50th year of independence, he sketched out threats and challenges facing a Singapore at 51.

But he painted an upbeat portrait of the future, saying that although the nation will be tested from time to time, he was confident it would succeed as long as Singaporeans held fast to their foundational tenet of staying one united people, regardless of race, language or religion.

"We are a people building on the work of each generation, looking to the future with confidence," he said.

He said disruptions to businesses and workers from technology and globalisation would be a defining challenge. He noted that small and medium-sized enterprises have found it tough to adapt to the relentless changes, and urged them to stick out the rough patch, promising that there would be opportunity in crisis.

As a small state in a region grappling with the threat of terrorism, Singapore also had to contend with geopolitical and security realities, he added, calling on citizens to understand the national interest and support Singapore's position in its relations with other countries.

He noted that a dozen radicalised Singaporeans had been picked up in the past two years, and this multiracial society will come under strain should an attack happen. Whether it survives an attack will boil down to "our collective resolve to stand with each other".

Singapore is in a good place as religious and community leaders have taken a courageous stand by refuting extremist views, and made clear that terrorists do not represent Islam, said Mr Lee.

Religious leaders, in particular Muslim leaders, have made sure their faiths are practised in a way fit for Singapore's multiracial context.

Ultimately, prosperity and security depend on good politics, Mr Lee said. "Our politics must unite the country and uphold our multiracial society."

To this end, changes will be made to the elected presidency to ensure that minorities are elected to the highest office from time to time. The Government has also accepted in principle the recommendations by a Constitutional Commission on a review of the elected presidency. It will release the commission's report soon, issue a White Paper on the changes later, and debate the matter in Parliament.Still on the topic of good politics, Mr Lee expressed relief that he had managed to reinforce his team in last year's general election and would continue to do so at the next polls. The issue of succession was all the more important, he said, in the light of what happened to him earlier in the night.

PM Lee had no cardiac abnormalities or stroke, on medical leave till Aug 29
By Annabeth Leow, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is on medical leave until Aug 29, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday (Aug 22).In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will cover Mr Lee's duties.Mr Lee, 64, is taking medical leave on the advice of doctors after suffering a near-fainting spell on stage during the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 21).Doctors have confirmed there were no cardiac abnormalities and no stroke, the statement said. It added that Mr Lee had taken ill due to a temporary drop in blood pressure, due to prolonged standing, exhaustion, and dehydrationMr Lee underwent a check-up at the Singapore General Hospital following the rally and medical tests came back clear.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan posted on Facebook Monday morning and described the incident - which saw Mr Lee pause and falter during his English speech at around 9.20pm as the audience looked on anxiously - as a "vasovagal episode".A vasovagal response results from an abnormal circulatory reflex resulting in abnormal relaxation of the body's blood vessels. A person usually faints during such a reaction.Mr Lee returned to the stage at 10.40pm to a standing ovation and continued delivering his speech for another 15 minutes.He posted a short Facebook update on Monday, thanking viewers for watching the speech.In a longer statement half an hour later, Mr Lee offered “heartfelt thanks to all of you for your concern and good wishes”." I’m glad to report that the doctors think I am ok, but they have advised me to rest, so I will be on MC for this week," he added.His Facebook followers returned the sentiment, with one user, Evangeline Yap, writing: “Thank you for going back to finish your speech despite being unwell.”

Timeline of events
The Straits Times, 22 Aug 20168pm: PM Lee begins his English speech.9.18pm: He takes ill. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen rushes to his aid, along with Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. Mr Lee is led backstage. He waves to the audience as he leaves.9.22pm: The National Day Rally is suspended.9.30pm: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announces a 30-minute break on Mr Lee's Twitter. On Mr Lee's Facebook, PMO says Mr Lee took ill while speaking. A medical team attending to him has assessed that his condition is not serious.9.51pm: DPM Teo announces that Mr Lee will resume his speech. "PM Lee says please enjoy the reception," he adds.10.19pm: Guests are asked to take their seats.10.22pm: PMO issues another statement saying Mr Lee was unsteady because of "prolonged standing, heat and dehydration". It adds that his heart is fine and he did not have a stroke.10:40pm: Mr Lee reappears to a standing ovation.

One anxious hour before PM returns smilingMPs describe atmosphere in the auditorium as he sways and clutches both sides of rostrum

By Lim Yan Liang and Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016With beads of sweat on his brow and his voice wavering, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a longer-than-usual pause right after stating that Singapore had worked hard over the decades to build racial harmony.Some in the audience, like MP Zainal Sapari, thought Mr Lee had paused to collect his thoughts."In the past, when he talks about issues close to his heart, he can get quite emotional," he said. "It was only when he started swaying that I realised something was not right."Others, like MP Alex Yam had noticed something amiss earlier, during Mr Lee's Chinese speech. "He usually does not trip over his words," said Mr Yam. "During the English speech, he stumbled over some words as well and he was reaching for his water more often. But it's been quite a hot day."An audible gasp rose from the audience when the pause became a full stop, and Mr Lee's expression changed from one of animation to confusion as he clutched both sides of the rostrum to steady himself.

As some craned their necks to see what was happening, many covered their mouths in stunned silence.A hush descended on the auditorium of ITE College Central as people tried to figure out what was happening, said MP Zaqy Mohamad.

There was a smattering of applause from the audience, as if giving hesitant encouragement to Mr Lee as he waved to the crowd while being led offstage. Mr Zainal said he heard Mr Lee say, "I'm sorry, I'm okay.""As PM left, he actually raised his hand and I think people did not know how to react," he said.

Dr Ng then signalled to Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary and Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min, and the two doctors went backstage to help.

An announcement of a break ensued and the Rally guests were invited to join the reception. But few felt like eating after what they had witnessed, said MP Baey Yam Keng. "People were anxious as they didn't know what had happened," he said.Online and TV viewers took to social media to express their worry.Many shared the sentiment of Facebook user Oli To: "Mr Lee, your health comes first. Please rest and recover fully. You had such an exhausting schedule in Singapore and overseas. Thankfully, it is nothing serious."People felt somewhat reassured when at 9.31pm the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Mr Lee's Facebook page: "PM Lee took ill while speaking at the National Day Rally. The medical team is attending to him right now. They assess that his condition is not serious. PMO will update in due course."A sense of normalcy returned at 9.51pm - almost half an hour after the break was called - when DPM Teo announced that Mr Lee was resting and would return to resume his speech. "PM Lee says please enjoy the reception, he's having a rest and he'd like to come back and greet all of you and conclude his speech."

Mr Baey said: "You could hear the relief when DPM Teo made the announcement."Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also told reporters at the reception that the scare was just "a little blip", and that doctors had assessed him to be fine. "He's perfectly normal... These things happen in life but he's strong enough to carry on. He's been having a very tough schedule recently, he's been standing for some time, so he's just feeling a little faint."PMO confirmed this in a statement at about 10.28pm, saying Mr Lee had been feeling "unsteady because of prolonged standing, heat and dehydration". It added: "His heart is fine and he did not have a stroke."At 10.40pm, Mr Lee strode on stage to a standing ovation, thanked the audience for waiting and shrugged off the incident with a smile. "The last time I did this, I was on the parade square in Safti (the military's officer training institute) and fainted," he said. "I've never had so many doctors look at me all at once. They think I'm all right, but I'm going to have a full check-up after this."

.@NajibRazak Thanks for your good wishes. My doctors tell me I should be OK. - LHL

In a Twitter reply at 2am to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Mr Lee said: "Thanks for your good wishes. My doctors tell me I should be OK."

Additional reporting by Joanna Seow

Changes to elected presidency soon
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Singapore's Constitution will soon be changed to ensure that ethnic minorities are elected as president from time to time.Individuals who want to run for president will also have to meet stricter requirements.Announcing the impending changes, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the Government accepts in principle the recommendations of the high-level panel to review the elected presidency.The Constitutional Commission, which started its work six months ago, submitted its report last week. The Government is studying the report and it will be released "soon", said Mr Lee.Detailing the process by which the law will be changed, he said the Government will publish a policy White Paper on the exact proposed changes.Following that, it will introduce a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution to include the changes to the elected presidency.The details of these changes will be debated in Parliament after that, and at least two-thirds of the 89 elected MPs must vote for the amendment before it can be passed.

While Mr Lee did not go into the details of the specific changes recommended by the commission, he spent significant portions of his three speeches - in English, Mandarin and Malay - making the case for reform.

The commission, first announced in January, was tasked to examine three areas of review. These are raising the eligibility criteria for candidates, strengthening the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), and ensuring minorities are elected from time to time.

The last issue was the most contentious and during the public hearings, some experts said such a tweak was necessary to ensure minority representation. Others were concerned that doing so would be affirmative action at best and an unmeritocratic move at worst.

Last night, in his starkest comments to date on the issue, Mr Lee said it is important that Singapore ensures that minorities regularly have a chance to become president so they feel assured of their place in society.

Race, he said, still matters in Singapore despite progress in race relations the past 50 years.

This puts minority candidates at a disadvantage, especially now that presidential elections are hotly contested.

Thus, if changes to the law are not made, said Mr Lee, minorities may ask if they are truly equal and the Chinese majority may become less sensitive to the needs of other races.

Reforms must therefore be implemented now while society is united, he said.

Such periodic political reviews are essential to Singapore's survival, argued the Prime Minister.

While the political system here is good, some aspects of it need to be updated, he said.

"If the political system malfunctions, we fail to produce good leaders whom we trust and work with, or we can't work together among ourselves and we are divided, then all our best laid plans will come to naught," he added.

He pointed to anxieties and pressures in other countries that had led to deep fault lines between the haves and the have-nots, and to a mistrust of political leaders.

For instance, Britain had voted to leave the European Union for complex reasons that included socioeconomic inequality and a lack of faith in the political class.

Such a situation can also happen in Singapore unless its politics unite the country and uphold multiracialism, he added.

Besides ensuring ethnic minority representation, changes to give more weight to the advice of the CPA have been proposed and will be incremental and straightforward, he said.

Also, the criteria for someone to be a candidate for president should be raised to ensure that the president, who safeguards reserves and senior civil servant appointments, has the right experience.

Mr Lee argued that the president has to make critical economic and policy decisions sometimes, which is why Singapore needs the best qualified person for the job.

The current criterion of having had experience running large, complex companies with paid-up capital of $100 million is out of date and thus has to be updated, he said.

Help for longer time likely with ElderShield review
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016An impending review of the ElderShield insurance scheme for long-term care of people with severe disabilities could see more of them receiving help for a longer period of time.The Health Ministry will form a committee to study the scheme, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced yesterday. "We hope ElderShield will be able to cover more people, provide better protection and be kept affordable."The national scheme, which has helped more than 7,000 people since it was introduced in 2002, needs to be strengthened because society is ageing rapidly, he said.Citing figures, he said one in every two persons will eventually have a long-term disability and become unable to look after themselves.Currently, if a person develops a severe disability and needs help with daily activities, ElderShield provides cash payouts of $300 a month for up to 60 months or $400 a month for up to 72 months, depending on when the policyholder joined the scheme. This can help offset the cost of, say, nursing needs or employing a maid.But six years of payouts may not be enough, and not everyone is covered under the scheme, said Mr Lee, explaining the need for a review.Singapore residents with Medisave accounts are automatically enrolled in the opt-out scheme at the age of 40. Those with pre-existing severe disabilities may not be covered.

The review is part of improvements to the social safety net for the elderly in recent years. These include the introduction of MediShield Life and the Pioneer Generation Package to help them with medical expenses, as well as the CPF Life annuity and Silver Support for their living expenses.The Government has tripled its social spending from 10 years ago and is now supporting more people, Mr Lee said. "That means all of you would have received some measure of help from the Government, and those who are in need receive more help," he said. "With the enhanced ElderShield, we will pretty much have all the components of our social safety net in place."

Heng Swee Keat to resume work; Lawrence Wong appointed as second Finance Minister
By Royston Sim, Assistant News Editor, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who suffered a stroke in May, will resume his duties, after doctors gave him the green light to do office work, but with minimal interaction with people.National Development Minister Lawrence Wong will be made second minister to help run the Finance Ministry, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.He announced this after resuming his National Day Rally speech at 10.40pm yesterday. He had taken ill while speaking and the Rally was suspended for more than an hour.When he came back on stage, Mr Lee stressed the importance of leadership succession. "What happened makes it even more important that I talk about it now."Building leadership and preparing for succession are his top priorities: "Nothing that has happened has changed my timetable, or my resolve to press on with succession."Mr Lee said he will reinforce his team again at the next General Election. "Soon after the next GE, my successor must be ready to take over from me. Sui yue bu liu ren (Time does not stand still for man). You cannot wait." While the core team for the next-generation Cabinet is in place, ministers are also mortal, he said."Heng Swee Keat recently gave us a bad scare - worse than what I gave you just now, much worse," he said. "I am very glad he pulled through."Mr Heng, a key member of the fourth-generation leadership, had collapsed from a stroke on May 12. He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where surgery sealed off an aneurysm in his brain.

He was discharged from hospital six weeks later and a video showed a slimmer Mr Heng thanking the medical staff who cared for him .

"It is a miracle that he is all right," Mr Lee said, as he lauded the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team that responded to the emergency for "an excellent job".

The same team of paramedics, who were guests at the rally, helped treat Mr Lee last night.

Doctors have recommended Mr Heng avoid crowds for a few more months to minimise the risk of infection, Mr Lee said. While this rules out community and grassroots work, doctors say he can go to work.Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will then stop covering his duties as Acting Finance Minister.In a Facebook post last night, Mr Heng said he will focus on next year's national Budget and the Committee on the Future Economy, which he co-chairs with Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran. He also welcomed Mr Wong's appointment, saying they had worked closely at the Education Ministry when Mr Wong led the Committee on University Education Pathways beyond 2015.

PM Lee said it was critical to have good people who are capable, committed and have integrity in politics, in order for the political system to continue working properly.

He made the point in the speech he was scheduled to give but did not deliver after he took ill. His office gave the media the speech.

Mr Lee also said he wanted to bolster his team from all fields, including academia and civil society, but it was difficult to convince good people to enter politics.

The suitable few are very difficult to persuade, he said. "I hope you feel strongly enough for Singapore that if we ask you, you will say 'yes'."

Disruption the 'defining challenge' for Singapore economySingapore must keep up with relentless pace of technological change or risk being left behind
By Chia Yan Min, Economics Correspondent, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Five minutes into his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asked how many members of the audience arrived at the venue by Uber and Grab.Several people put their hands up but certainly more than when Mr Lee asked who came to the rally by taxi. "Our taxi drivers must be getting worried," he said.It is such disruption that will become the defining challenge for Singapore's economy, said PM Lee yesterday. He was delivering his National Day Rally speech at ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio.The country is dealing with a host of economic issues, such as slower growth and the need to help people upgrade their skills. But chief among them is the relentless pace of technological change sweeping many industries. What is key, said Mr Lee, is how Singapore chooses to respond - close itself off, or embrace the change and help incumbents adjust.Mr Lee said Singapore must opt to embrace change, and it needs "an overall strategy" that will help firms move into this digital space, support entrepreneurs in coming up with innovative ideas, and help workers gain new skills.The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) - a task force formed to retool Singapore for the future - is working on this. "Maybe the next Google or Facebook or Alibaba may come from Singapore," said Mr Lee.In dwelling on the economy - traditionally the subject that gets the foremost mention in his English National Day Rally speech, Mr Lee had his eye fixed firmly on the future.He noted that economic growth has slowed this year - the labour market has cooled, unemployment is inching upwards and business has stagnated for many companies.The rapid pace of growth that Singapore experienced in previous decades is no longer sustainable as the economy has matured.

And even as growth slows, technology is disrupting existing business models - not just in the taxi industry but across all sectors.

In retail, for instance, brick-and-mortar stores have been hit hard by the growing popularity of online shopping. In Orchard Road, for instance, shops have become places where people "look, see, go home to buy", said Mr Lee.

People can even order joss paper and incense online for the ongoing Hungry Ghost Festival, he said in his Mandarin speech.Neighbourhood coffee shops are also facing new competition from the likes of VendCafe, a cluster of vending machines serving hot meals and drinks in Sengkang.

These disruptions are the "new normal" and companies big and small need to adapt in order to thrive, he said.

Still, it is not all bad. Mr Lee said companies in sectors such as general manufacturing, furniture design and food have transformed and expanded overseas.New jobs have also been created.The growth of e-commerce means rising demand for logistics services, which Singapore has an edge in, given its status as a transport and financial hub. There are also new opportunities in industries like data analytics and digital marketing, Mr Lee added.

"Every industry is disrupted but every industry is disrupted differently," he said, adding that government agencies will work with companies and trade associations to tailor programmes, invest in technologies and develop skills.Mr Lee gave a preview of the work CFE is doing to help the country prepare for the uncertainties ahead.First, the Government will continue helping companies build new capabilities in areas such as the digital space. Singapore is well placed to capitalise on opportunities in it, he said. Flashing a photo of a group of people gathered at a playground staring at their smartphones, Mr Lee asked: "Where do you think this is, and what do you think they are doing?"That's Pokemon Go! Pokemon Go has gone viral... It shows that everybody has a phone, everybody is online, everybody is comfortable, able to use digital."

Some businesses, such as logistics firm Ascent Solutions, are already making progress, he said. The firm developed a container tracking device called iSpot, which allows round-the-clock monitoring, prevents theft and speeds up the customs clearance process.

It took the device to East Africa, with support from trade agency IE Singapore, and there are now 10,000 iSpots in Kenya and Tanzania. It used to take 20 days for a container to travel from Kenya to Uganda, but iSpot has helped cut this down to two days.

Besides digital, Singapore also needs to build deep capabilities in other sectors and help its small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) compete with the best in the world, said PM Lee. For instance, Singapore is holding its own in the engineering sector and home-grown SMEs like Hope Technik are flying the flag abroad.

The firm beat top engineering companies from around the world to win a tender from aircraft giant Airbus four years ago to build a scale model of a space plane for Airbus' civilian spacecraft programme.

"So, maybe in 20 years' time, when civilians go into space and space flight is a reality for all of us, then we can say a Singaporean firm helped this to happen," said Mr Lee.

The Republic also has to continue promoting entrepreneurship. Besides creating jobs and prosperity, entrepreneurs give society the confidence "that anything is possible". Mr Lee said: "Through our own actions, we can change the world. And if we fail, we try again".

He cited how five years ago, Singapore started Block 71 in Ayer Rajah Crescent as a place where start-ups can incubate. It has been very successful and has expanded to include an offshoot in San Francisco."The start-ups are growing. Investors are paying attention."Lastly, CFE is also working to develop workers' skills to prepare them for the new economy.This starts with equipping students with cross-disciplinary skills, and extends to helping those who are already in the workforce to upgrade and deepen their skills. The Government is also helping retrenched workers transition into new careers, Mr Lee said."This is how we can progress together, and thrive in a competitive and dangerous world."

Levelling the playing field for taxis, Uber, GrabGovernment to look further into this, rules will be updated to foster fair competition
By Adrian Lim, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016The playing field between taxis and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Grab is "not quite level", said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, adding that the Government will look further into this.The taxi sector is still subject to some extra rules - for example, cabbies must clock a minimum mileage daily and statutory requirements make operating taxis more expensive, he said."But then I remind the taxi drivers - you also enjoy some advantages. As drivers told me, they can 'sweep the floor'... that means you can pick up from the kerb. Uber and Grab cannot," he added."There are other advantages too. We will progressively sort all these things out. But I think we all know that we can't stop progress," he said at his National Day Rally.He cited apps such as Uber and Grab as examples of how industries and jobs are being disrupted by technology and globalisation. He said that while Singapore must embrace disruption to stay ahead, it will help incumbents adapt.Mr Lee said of Uber and Grab: "You open an app, it matches you to the nearest car... no need to book a cab by phone, no need to hail a cruising cab along the street." He said the apps also analyse travel patterns, and adjust fares to match supply and demand.Despite the disruption these apps have caused worldwide, and the taxi industry saying its business has been hit, commuters are benefiting - "better service, more responsive, faster", he added.

Noting that cabbies in cities such as London, Sydney and Jakarta have staged protests seeking the blockage of these new services, Mr Lee said Singapore could close itself off, ban Uber and Grab, and impose restrictions to protect the "old ways".

"But we will be left behind and our commuters will lose out, and our economy will suffer. The other way is to embrace change, let the disruption happen... but help the incumbents, and especially help the taxi drivers, to adapt to the changes."

Mr Lee said this is being done, by updating rules to foster fair competition, while protecting commuters, and requiring drivers - whether cabbies or those under Uber or Grab - to have proper insurance and clean records.

In April, new regulations were announced, requiring Uber and Grab drivers to obtain a vocational licence by the first half of next year. Cars used for private hire must also be registered and be marked with a decal for easy identification.

Mr Lee said he knows quite a few cabbies who are anxious about their livelihoods. He said he told cabbies at a grassroots event: "I said you can also drive for the other side. They said yes but we have to work hard. But they can still make a living."

Taxi drivers here have been level-headed about the competition and made useful recommendations to level the playing field, he said. Some also welcomed the competition, which has caused taxi firms to take drivers "more seriously", responding with better offers and new technology, he added.

Mr Lee said: "Even Uber and Grab are going to be disrupted, and the next round may be no drivers - driverless cars running a taxi service." Next year, Singapore will start a trial of driverless taxis in one-north.

National Taxi Association executive adviser Ang Hin Kee said requirements such as taxi availability standards - that require cabbies to clock a minimum mileage and ply the roads during peak hours - should be reviewed."The private-car hire services should adopt similar vehicle standards (as taxis) on safety and emissions," he added.

Foreign policySingapore aims to be within US, China circles of friendsContinued engagement of Beijing and Washington in Asia-Pacific has been good for region: PMBy Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Fresh from an official visit to the United States and ahead of a trip to China next month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday spoke of the importance of Singapore maintaining good relations with both countries.Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping recently said the US and China should cultivate common circles of friends, Mr Lee said Singapore aims to be within those circles. This is because the continued engagement of both countries in the Asia- Pacific has been good for the region.

The US brings trade and investments while maintaining security and stability, allowing countries to thrive and compete peacefully.China's increasing prosperity since embarking on economic reform 40 years ago has also benefited Asia and the world. "An unstable and backward China will cause Asia great trouble, as happened in the 1950s and 1960s," Mr Lee said.He was hosted to a state dinner at the White House earlier this month, the first for a Singapore prime minister in more than three decades.The official visit was "a signal that the US values its friends and partners, and appreciates Singapore's support for the role that America has played in the Asia-Pacific for more than 70 years", he said.Next month, Mr Lee will visit China, including Chongqing, where the third government-led project between China and Singapore was launched last November.The US and China strive to be on good terms, he said, as both believe that the Pacific is vast enough to accommodate the two powers, which view their presence in the region as vital to their national interests.But difficulties with both countries have cropped up before, he noted. This included when Washington protested against the caning of US teenager Michael Fay here in 1994 for vandalism.

Issues with China also surfaced when Beijing felt that Singapore did not sufficiently defer to its interests, Mr Lee said. "Sometimes the interests of our friends will conflict, and we will be pressured to choose sides."

In a reference to the South China Sea dispute, he added: "Sometimes, if you read the foreign media, including the (Chinese) media, you will find articles criticising Singapore for not siding more with them."

He was aware that some Singaporeans were concerned about these criticisms, as their friends and business partners say any tension between Singapore and China would affect business and collaboration.

While Mr Lee understood these concerns, he said the Government "has to take a national point of view, decide what's in Singapore's overall interest".

He also assured Singaporeans that Singapore's relationship with China is much broader than the single South China Sea issue.

He pointed to the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, a government- to-government project which follows the Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-city.

Also, Singapore is working with China on the One Belt, One Road infrastructure and economic strategy, and participating in the China- backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Mr Lee reiterated that on the South China Sea, Singapore does not take sides on the specific claims of any country.Instead, it has to uphold its own independent and considered stance so that Singapore's hard- earned reputation as a credible and reliable entity on the international stage can be maintained.

Singapore must stand by its principles on South China Sea
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016

Singapore has its own principled, consistent stand on the issue of the South China Sea and cannot succumb to pressure from other countries to side with their territorial claims, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.Singapore is "in a slightly warm seat" as it happens to be the country coordinator for Asean-China dialogue relations until August 2018, he said.China and four Asean countries - the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam - have overlapping claims in the South China Sea."Each party wants us to side a bit more with them... We are doing our best to be an honest broker, dealing straight with all parties," he said.

Although Singapore has no claims of its own in the South China Sea, it has a stake in the dispute, he said as he outlined three principles that matter to the country: upholding international law, maintaining freedom of navigation and promoting a united Asean.It is of vital interest to small countries that disputes with other countries are settled peacefully through the use of international law, Mr Lee said, as he used some of Singapore's disagreements with Malaysia to illustrate his point.The issue of Pedra Branca, an island 50km off the Singapore coast, was taken to the International Court of Justice, where Singapore got a favourable result and both sides accepted the ruling, he said.

Also, the issue of whether development charges were payable on former Malayan Railway land was resolved through arbitration. This time, the ruling went against Singapore, but, again, both sides accepted the result and moved on.

But Mr Lee noted that large powers do not always adhere to such practices as they often insist on their own interests.

When the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague rejected China's claims in the South China Sea last month after the Philippines brought the case before it, China refused to recognise the ruling.

China is not the first country to refuse to comply with an international tribunal's ruling, but Singapore must continue to support a rules-based international order, Mr Lee said.

"We cannot afford to have international relations work on the basis that might is right. If rules don't matter, then small states like Singapore have no chance of survival," he said.

Mr Lee described the South China Sea, with the Strait of Malacca, as "two vital arteries" that connect Singapore to the world.

Ships sail down one of the sea passages and pass through the Singapore Strait to reach the other.

"Both of these are arteries - you block one, you die," he said.

Therefore, it is crucial that ships and planes continue to sail in or fly over the South China Sea despite the ongoing dispute there.

Finally, Singapore's voice on the international stage is much more effective when it is heard collectively with other Asean member states.

But Asean has found it hard to take a clear and common stand on the South China Sea as its members have different interests, he said.

In 2012, Asean failed for the first time in its 45-year history to issue a joint communique because members could not agree on whether to include the South China Sea dispute. Last month, there was a joint communique after the Asean foreign ministers' meeting avoided addressing directly the ruling by The Hague tribunal.

"If Asean can't deal with a major issue like this on its doorstep affecting its members, in the long run, nobody will take Asean seriously," he said.

Returning to Singapore's stance on the South China Sea dispute, Mr Lee said Singapore must stand firm on its beliefs."Other countries will persuade us to side with them, one side or the other, and we have to choose our own place to stand," he said.

Ties with Malaysia, Indonesia are good despite differences
By Chong Zi Liang, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Differences with Malaysia and Indonesia, which will emerge now and then, should not affect Singapore's broader cooperation with them, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.Describing the two countries as Singapore's "most important partners", he added: "From time to time, there will be differences because of their deep-seated attitudes towards us."He noted that an Indonesian minister had recently said he was not afraid of Singapore because it is just a small country."It's an abang-adik attitude towards us; it hasn't changed since we became independent," he said, using the Malay words for elder and younger brother.Still, Mr Lee said relations with Malaysia and Indonesia were good, and listed the various areas of cooperation with both countries, such as in infrastructure building, industrial investment, and solving environmental problems.Mr Lee was in Putrajaya last month to witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the High Speed Rail between Singapore and Malaysia, and was hosted to lunch by his Malaysian counterpart. "The durian was good, the High Speed Rail will be better," he quipped.On Indonesia, Mr Lee said he meets President Joko Widodo regularly and they will work together to tackle the trans-boundary haze problem. They are also discussing enhancing economic cooperation and encouraging Singapore companies to invest more in Indonesia.On Thursday, Mr Lee will have a leaders' retreat in Semarang, Indonesia, where SembCorp has a joint venture to build the Kendal Industrial Park, an industrial estate that will house furniture, garment and automotive industries.

Singapore has thwarted several terrorist plotsPlan for rocket attack on Marina Bay not the only terrorist plot that targeted Republic
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016

The authorities have been quietly acting on information about "definite" plots by terrorists to attack targets in Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed in his National Day Rally speech yesterday.In the latest, clearest reminder that Singapore remains firmly within terrorists' sights, Mr Lee said some stepped-up security measures have been taken in response to what security agencies consider "a real threat" based on intelligence.He did not elaborate but one such plot was made public earlier this month, when Indonesian police arrested factory worker Gigih Rahmat Dewa, 31, and four other members of his terror cell in Batam.Gigih had been in touch with Syria-based Indonesian ISIS militant Bahrun Naim to plan a rocket attack on Marina Bay. (ISIS stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.)"Gigih's plot to attack MBS is not the only definite plan by terrorists to attack targets in Singapore that we know of," said Mr Lee."We know there have been others, we've quietly acted on the information, we've taken precautions."

These include stepped-up patrols and increased protection for major events and prominent premises. The authorities have also shifted and rescheduled certain events because of these threats, he added.

"We take it seriously - it's not certain enough to warn everybody publicly, but serious enough for us to act quietly.

"So the next time you see a patrol in the city, or some extra security in some areas, it may be we are just taking precautions, or doing a show of force as deterrence," said Mr Lee. "But it could also be in response to a real threat that we've heard about."Within the region, terror groups are active and have shown their capacity to carry out attacks, he said.Despite a crackdown by the Indonesian police last December, one cell evaded the dragnet to mount a January attack in central Jakarta.

In June, Malaysia suffered a grenade attack in Puchong, and the authorities there have arrested some 200 ISIS supporters, including at least 13 armed forces personnel.

Malaysia also found seven prison wardens radicalised by the detainees they were handling, and they had to themselves be deradicalised.

Terror group ISIS continues to court South-east Asians to join its extremist cause, Mr Lee added, noting that some 1,000 Malaysians and Indonesians are fighting for the group in the Middle East, enough for ISIS to form Bahasa Indonesia-speaking battalion Katibah Nusantara.

The group also put out a Bahasa Indonesia magazine, Al Fatihin, that Singapore banned last month.

Mr Lee said Singaporeans are not immune to such propaganda.He noted that a dozen radicalised Singaporeans have been arrested over the past two years.

Several tried to go to the Middle East to join ISIS, and a few were prepared to mount attacks in Singapore. One had planned to kill the President or Prime Minister if he could not get to Syria.

Mr Lee noted that some of those detained had surfed radical websites, and others had listened to extremist radio stations in the region.

"We continue to pick up a steady trickle of such people, one or two a month," Mr Lee said.

Fortunately, Singapore has a font of strength in fighting the forces of intolerance and extremism, he added: Communities and their leaders innately understand the importance of multiracialism, the need to be inclusive, and to compromise so as to maintain social harmony.And this give-and-take has to be nurtured at a time when terrorism threatens the social fabric, he said.

Singapore has been fortunate to be spared from a terrorist attack so far, but what happens when the terrorists get through - and are Singaporeans, too?Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech last night, took on the sombre reality of the growing threat of terrorism and the consequences such an attack might have on social cohesion."If the terrorists are from abroad, it may be easier for us to stand together," he said. "But if the terrorist is Singaporean - one of our own, like what happened in Nice where the truck driver was French - our multiracial society will come under tremendous strain."People in countries hit by terrorist attacks have reacted in two possible ways: with shows of solidarity, or with mounting fear and distrust. When Paris was rocked by a series of attacks last November, Parisians banded together. But tensions boiled over too, with mosques and Muslim shops vandalised, and Muslims physically attacked."The question is: Which will happen in Singapore?" asked Mr Lee. "The answer comes down to our collective resolve to stand together, with one another. And that, in turn, depends on how well we prepare ourselves now, before an attack. Prepare ourselves to build trust, to strengthen bonds, to maintain and expand our common space, so that we instinctively feel one people."A big plus, he said, is that religious and community leaders here have taken a stand in condemning terrorist attacks and refuting extremist views. They make it clear that terrorists do not represent Islam or Singaporean Muslims.Mr Lee stressed that in Singapore's multiracial society, there has to be give and take. "We have to respect one another's religions. We cannot treat other groups as infidels. If religious groups take an exclusivist approach and discourage interaction and contact with others, we will deepen our fault lines."He raised the scenario of a Singapore where only the Chinese greeted one another during Chinese New Year, only Muslims said Selamat Hari Raya, only Hindus exchanged Deepavali greetings and only Christians said Merry Christmas. "It would be a very different and a very troubled Singapore."

Singapore has thus banned preachers - Christian, Hindu and Muslim - from overseas who want to preach exclusivist and intolerant doctrines, he noted.

Beyond social cohesion, Singapore is also beefing up its community response. Mr Lee said: "Our diplomats and security forces, the Home Team and SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) are doing excellent work, but they alone cannot guarantee our security and safety, or hold us together. All of us must do our part."He will launch the SG Secure national movement next month. "It is a call to action to all Singaporeans. To be sensitised, trained and mobilised to protect our society from a terrorist attack. Ultimately, what matters most is our resolve to hold together and fight to defend our place in the world."

Social cohesionIslamic teachers must be registered in the Asatizah Recognition Scheme from Jan 1
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh and Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016A scheme that endorses Islamic religious teachers in Singapore will be made mandatory from Jan 1 next year, with all religious teachers required to register in the Asatizah Recognition Scheme.But the asatizah will be given a one-year grace period to obtain the necessary qualifications, which include at least a diploma in Islamic studies from a recognised institution, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim told reporters at the National Day Rally, after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke in his Malay speech of the need to strengthen the scheme.Started in 2005, the scheme is voluntary now, with about 80 per cent of asatizah here on its register.But the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will work with the Asatizah Recognition Board and the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association to make it mandatory.Muslim leaders had proposed ways to make the scheme stricter, amid reports of Singaporeans radicalised by extremist ideology. They did it most recently at a closed-door dialogue with Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister for Communications and Information, and Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday.In welcoming it yesterday, Mr Lee said: "I commend the Malay/Muslim community for taking the initiative to deal with a sensitive problem. These measures will ensure that all asatizah in Singapore understand how Islam is practised here, and can guide their students to live in harmony with fellow Singaporeans of all races and religions."Dr Yaacob told reporters the 20 per cent who have yet to register belong to private schools and centres, or run their own classes. They include older teachers who have been doing it for decades.

"Some of them also fear they may not have the necessary qualifications," he said. "We'll work with them to see what we can do in terms of courses to ensure they'll qualify under the scheme."

Mufti Fatris Bakaram said the scheme was important amid rising demand for religious classes too."There must not be any gap where people who are not qualified can take advantage of the system, claiming it is just a voluntary initiative," he said.In his speech, Mr Lee said it was critical for Singapore's asatizah to understand the country's multiracial context. All religions here practise their faith in a multiracial and multi-religious context, he said.The different groups here respect each other's faiths, make practical compromises to accommodate one another, and do not segregate themselves from other communities."But it is not so in many other countries. It may be the same religion, but the practice and teaching vary from country to country. And sometimes, these practices and teachings are exclusivist and intolerant," said Mr Lee.

Some foreign preachers visiting Singapore do not understand the country's multiracial context, too.

"They preach separation between believers and non-believers. They condemn those who practise other faiths, and sometimes even those who practise the same faith, but in different ways," said Mr Lee.

"They advocate practices and customs that would cause grave harm in Singapore."

Singapore has, from time to time, stopped such preachers - of all faiths - from entering the country."The Government has to be consistently firm no matter what the religion, in order to safeguard our religious harmony."

Various races considerate towards others
The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016The various races in Singapore are considerate towards others when carrying out their cultural and religious practices.Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pointed out that the Chinese would burn their incense paper in special burners instead of in the open during the Seventh Month Festival.The Muslims are careful not to disturb their neighbours by lowering the volume of the azan (call to prayer) in mosques, while Hindu musicians perform at fixed points rather than walk alongside devotees during the Thaipusam procession to create less noise, he added.They make such adjustments to ensure the country's social fabric is not compromised, he said in Mandarin at the National Day Rally.Mr Lee underscored the importance of racial harmony amid concerns that terrorism could rend the country's social fabric."The Chinese community instinctively understands the importance of multiracialism and the need to be inclusive and to compromise to maintain social harmony.

"Indeed, this has become second nature of all races," he added.

Such accommodation can be seen as well in how the food requirements of various races and religions are handled during activities, "so each can eat what he likes and not impose on someone else".

Pointing to the rally's reception, Mr Lee said to laughter from the audience that his colleagues made sure there was something for everyone: soto babat for the Muslims, chapati for the Indians, kong bak bao for the Chinese, and baked salmon with curry for the Eurasians."We also have vegetarian and international cuisine, there are soft drinks and beer, but please, don't drink and drive!" he quipped.

But when it comes to fruits, all barriers come down, he said.

At a durian party last year, he said "all of us, from all races, enjoyed ourselves, even our foreign friends''.He added: "I hope all races will eat with each other frequently and stay in touch."

Elected presidencyNeed to ensure a minority president from time to timeOtherwise, national unity and sense of national identity among minorities will be weakened

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016A minority candidate who runs for president will find it hard to beat a rival from the majority race, all else being equal.But at the same time, Singapore cannot afford to let minorities be shut out of the highest office of the land for too long.Otherwise, Singapore's national unity and the sense of national identity among minorities will be weakened.This frank assessment of how much race mattered in the state of the nation and what is at stake was given by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night as he made the case for why changes to the elected presidency were needed.He set out his argument in his Malay, Mandarin and English National Day Rally speeches last night before he took ill.Mr Lee argued that a safeguard is needed to ensure a minority - that is, a non-Chinese Singaporean - becomes president from time to time. Having a minority president is critical because Singapore is a multiracial society, and the President as head of state symbolises the nation.Every Singaporean has to be able to identify with him and know that someone of his community can become president, Mr Lee added.

But the reality is that it is hard for a minority candidate to win a presidential election today, as the deck is stacked against him from the start.

Singapore has undoubtedly made much progress in becoming one people, regardless of race, language or religion, he noted.

It found that three out of four people believe race does not influence success. Also, most people believe the interest of one's own race should not come before the interests of other races, a belief held as well by most of the Chinese majority polled.

But Singapore is not completely race-blind.While most Singaporeans across all races accept a president or prime minister of another race, they also said they preferred one from their own race.

Mr Lee noted that elections are hotly contested today.

"Now that the President is elected in a national election, it is harder for a non-Chinese to get elected as president," he said.

Singapore in 50 years had only one Malay president, Mr Yusof Ishak, from 1965 to 1970.If a minority president is not elected "for a long time, minorities will become disappointed and uneasy, and rightly so", said Mr Lee.He added that this issue can be politicised and manipulated to provoke ill-feelings in minority communities and divide Singapore in the future.

This is why Singapore must make changes to the elected president system now, while things are still peaceful and the society is united, he said.

Mr Lee also addressed concerns he had heard. These include people asking why such elections could not be left alone to run their natural course.

"Some may feel that since we are a majority-Chinese country, when a Chinese president is elected, it is all right," he said in Mandarin.

But the reality of the multiracial society here is that under the current system, Singapore may not have a non-Chinese president for a long time, he said.

"This is serious, for it concerns our social cohesion, our multiracial society and our future," he said in Mandarin.

Another concern was that changes might compromise the principle of meritocracy.

But he stressed that the same stringent qualifying criteria will be maintained, no matter the race of the candidate for president.

Even after the changes, an elected president from a minority race will still be as fully qualified as any other president, he added.PM Lee took ill and later, when he returned to the stage, he said he would discuss the issue further on another occasion.His office, however, released what he was scheduled to have said on the elected presidency in a statement to the media.Mr Lee noted that it would not be the first time Singapore had introduced special provisions for minorities.About 30 years ago, it introduced group representation constituencies, or GRCs, in general elections. Candidates had to run in teams that must include at least one person from a minority race.

When the idea was first floated, the minority communities had misgivings, saying it would be patronising and they did not need it, said Mr Lee.

But people now accept GRCs, which are an important stabiliser ensuring there will always be minority MPs in Parliament, whatever the election outcome, he added.

He acknowledges such a change in the elected presidency is a delicate problem that is legally hard to draft, politically sensitive to explain, and something that takes time to accept.

But the change is necessary so that a minority Singaporean can regularly become president "to represent what we feel about Singapore, and our ideal of a multiracial society", Mr Lee said.It will strengthen racial harmony in Singapore "so that a generation from now, Singaporeans of all races will feel even closer to one another".

Other countries that ensure a head of state from a minorityBy Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Singapore would not be the only country to step in to make sure that a minority gets to be its head of state from time to time.Other multiracial countries such as Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland have their own ways of doing so, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong."In choosing the head of state, they often consciously arrange for minorities to be appointed or elected, so that minorities feel assured of their place," said Mr Lee.He cited these examples in a portion of last night's National Day Rally speech which he did not deliver as he suddenly took ill.The prepared text was released by the Prime Minister's Office.For instance, Canada, an English-speaking country where one in five people is French, alternates between a governor-general who speaks English and one who speaks French. Similarly, New Zealand, a country with Asian immigrants and an indigenous Maori population, regularly appoints a non-Caucasian governor-general.Switzerland has three main ethnic groups: the Germans, French and Italians. If the Swiss held elections for president, the Swiss Germans, who make up two-thirds of the population, would tend to win.Instead, it has a federal council with seven members that includes minority representatives, and the presidency rotates annually among the council members.

Mr Lee said no one in these countries questions the fitness of the head of state "just because there is an arrangement or special effort to find one belonging to the minority group". What they do recognise is that race is still a factor in elections and, all other things being equal, a minority candidate is at a disadvantage, he said.

Race "mattered hugely" even in the United States, which aspires towards being a melting pot of immigrants who become one American people. In such a society, it should make no difference if an African American or a Caucasian becomes president, said Mr Lee.

Yet when Mr Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, it was a huge deal for African Americans, he noted.

The breakdown of votes was revealing: Mr Obama got 43 per cent of the white vote and 67 per cent of the Latino vote. But an overwhelming 95 per cent of African Americans voted for him.A point to note for Singaporeans, perhaps, where people prefer a president from their own race, said Mr Lee.

Why Singapore needs a minority president from time to timeThe Straits Times, 23 Aug 2016

In the last 50 years, the Government has promoted religious and racial harmony through education, housing and many other policies, but we are not yet completely race-blind.After Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away, I visited Tanjong Pagar.Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah, who helped Mr Lee look after his residents, accompanied me. She had served there for many years and speaks Cantonese fluently. But one of the residents told me: "PM, please send us a bilingual minister."These sentiments are present not just at Tanjong Pagar. There are voters of every race in every constituency who feel this way.Actually, similar sentiments are present in every multiracial society. It's human nature.We feel more comfortable interacting and working with people who share the same culture, language and ethnicity as we do. We accept each other more readily.

Therefore, during elections, voters often wonder - or they would have thought of it - if candidates are able to communicate with them in their mother tongue.

"Can I speak directly to him and engage him comfortably? Does he understand me, where I am coming from - my culture and faith?"

So, in Singapore, language and race do play a role in elections.

All things being equal, a minority candidate contesting in a Chinese-majority constituency is at a disadvantage, and in Singapore, every constituency is majority Chinese. This is why we have group representation constituencies (GRCs), to ensure that there will always be minority MPs in Parliament. Let's be honest with ourselves and deal with this squarely.

For a non-Chinese to become an MP, it is not easy. For a non-Chinese to be elected president is even harder. Hence, I proposed changes to the elected president scheme in January, to make sure that, from time to time, we will have a non-Chinese president.

Since the announcement, I have heard some feedback. People have said: "Since Singapore is multiracial, and we say 'regardless of race, language or religion', why is there a need to make provisions for minorities? Why not let the elections run their natural course?"

Some may feel that since we are a majority-Chinese country, when a Chinese president is elected, it is all right. I understand these feelings, but we need to face up to the reality of our multiracial context. Under the current system of contested national elections for president, we may not have a non-Chinese president for a long time. If so, this will weaken the sense of national identity among minorities, and affect our unity.

This is serious for it concerns our social cohesion, our multiracial society and our future.

It is important that we have a Malay, Indian or other races as president from time to time.

The president as head of state is the unifying symbol for all Singaporeans, and must be able to unite all Singaporeans. Our former president, Mr (S R) Nathan, is a shining example of this.Mr Nathan is Indian but, as president, he looked after the interests of all Singaporeans. He proactively reached out to all races and got to know them well. I hope the Chinese community will support the constitutional changes we may propose so that if we have a good minority presidential candidate, he can become the president, and represent all Singaporeans.Excerpt from English translation of speech in Mandarin.

PM hopes Chinese community will support changes
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016

When Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew died last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Tanjong Pagar, the ward the late Mr Lee had always represented.He was accompanied by Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah, a Tanjong Pagar GRC MP who had been helping the older Mr Lee at the ward for many years. She also speaks Cantonese fluently.Yet, one resident came up to PM Lee and asked that he send a "bilingual minister" to the ward.The incident shows Singaporeans are "not yet completely race-blind", PM Lee noted in his Mandarin speech at the National Day Rally last night, as he explained to the Chinese community the importance of supporting the impending changes that would allow a non-Chinese president to be elected from time to time.Similar sentiments can be found in other constituencies and every multiracial society, he added."It's human nature. We feel more comfortable interacting and working with people who share the same culture, language and ethnicity as we do," he said, adding that race and language play a role in elections too.Hence, all things being equal, a minority candidate contesting in a Chinese-majority constituency is at a disadvantage, which is why group representation constituencies, or GRCs, exist to ensure minority representation in Parliament, he said.

It is also the reason he had talked about the need for changes to the elected president scheme in January this year, to ensure, among other things, that there is a non-Chinese president from time to time.

PM Lee said he accepted in principle the main recommendations of a specially appointed Constitutional Commission and the Government would respond to them in "due course".

A recent survey by Channel NewsAsia and the Institute of Policy Studies found most Singaporeans across all races would accept a prime minister or president of another race, but a significant number showed a strong preference for these leaders to be of their own race.

Said PM Lee: "Let's be honest with ourselves and deal with this squarely: For a non-Chinese to become an MP, it is not easy. For a non-Chinese to be elected president is even harder."

He has received some feedback, he said, in which people questioned the need to make provisions for minorities since Singapore is a multiracial society. Some also feel the election of a Chinese president is all right since the country has a Chinese majority.

But Singaporeans need to "face up to the reality of our multiracial context" and in the current system Singapore may not get a non-Chinese president for a long time.

"If so, this will weaken the sense of national identity among minorities and affect our unity. This is serious as it concerns our social cohesion, our multiracial society and our future," he said.

It is important to have a Malay, an Indian or someone of another race as president from time to time, as the role of head of state is a unifying symbol for Singaporeans, he added.

Former president S R Nathan is a good example, he said.

"Mr Nathan is Indian, but as president, he looked after the interests of all Singaporeans. He proactively reached out to all races and got to know them well."

He expressed the hope that the Chinese community will support the proposed constitutional changes "so that if we have a good minority presidential candidate, he can become the president and represent all Singaporeans''.

Ms Indranee later told The Straits Times she had encountered residents who occasionally asked if she spoke Mandarin: "This is just a natural desire on their part to communicate in the language they are most comfortable in."She added: "We are multiracial but we are not homogenous. Human nature being what it is, things like race and religion do matter. What we have built goes against the natural grain. So we need to continue to support what we have built.

The qualifying criteria for presidential candidates must be updated, as these are no longer in line with the great responsibilities that the President faces, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong."The weight of the job has increased," he said in his National Day Rally speech last night.Currently, candidates must have either held key appointments in the public service, or had experience in the private sector running large and complex companies - defined in the Constitution as companies with a paid-up capital of $100 million.But this criterion is "out of date", he said."Look at what the President is protecting," he said, citing figures on how the economy and reserves have grown in the last 25 years.

For instance, the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) official foreign reserves were $351 billion last year, up from $48 billion in 1990.

The companies used as a benchmark, such as Singtel and DBS, have also grown much larger.

Today, $100 million is "the wrong number", said Mr Lee.

"It is too small for a company to be considered even... the same kind of responsibility as (what) the President is doing here."

There are now also many more such companies: 2,000, compared with just 158 in 1993.

So running such a company is no longer comparable to the responsibility of being the President, he said, adding: "We've got to update this benchmark."

Having the right qualifying criteria is crucial because the President has the mandate to decide on the national reserves and key appointments, stressed Mr Lee.

The President must ensure that the government of the day does not fritter away Singapore's carefully accumulated reserves, and that the people appointed to key posts are capable, upright and will uphold the system.

He must, thus, have the right experience to decide whether the Government's budgets and spending proposals are sound and justified, and to judge the candidates for public-sector appointments.

These are "real and difficult choices" that the President must get right, said Mr Lee.

He raised the example of the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, when the Government sought the approval of then President S R Nathan to draw from the reserves for its annual Budget.

The Government wanted $5 billion to save businesses and jobs, and to guarantee all bank deposits in Singapore by backing them with $150 billion of Singapore's reserves.

"We were not certain whether the plans would work, whether they would be sufficient," he noted.

"The President had to judge whether the Government got it right, whether our recommendations were sound."

Mr Nathan and the Council of Presidential Advisers were briefed by the ministries and MAS.

He consulted the council, thought it over carefully, and gave the Government permission - which turned out to be the right thing, said Mr Lee.

Because of that intervention, Singapore's economy bounced back quickly once the outlook changed, and jobs were saved.

"So it is here that the President makes critical decisions and it is here that we need the President to be competent, be on top of the job, to be capable.

"And that is why we need the most qualified person," concluded Mr Lee.

Singapore must have good politics if its plans for the future are to work, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally speech last night, citing the recent Brexit referendum as an example of how things can go wrong if citizens lose faith in politics.Having earlier set out Singapore's economic and foreign policy position and plans, he noted that, for these to work, Singapore must have good politics.If Singapore fails to produce good leaders who citizens can trust, or if Singaporeans are themselves divided, then the best-laid plans will amount to nothing, he said.He held up the Brexit referendum in June, in which a majority of British citizens voted for their country to leave the European Union, as "a vivid reminder of how important good politics is".

The referendum result is already taking an economic toll on Britain, he added. But the bigger impact is on social cohesion, with fault lines in British society deepening: between the young and the old, the better educated and the working class, British and immigrants, and the English and the Scots.The "Leave" campaign won because voters lost faith in leaders and politicians, said Mr Lee.

Large segments of society felt that they were not benefiting from globalisation. High immigration made people anxious about national identity.

The anxieties and pressures in the Brexit referendum are present in many other countries.

But, he said, Singapore can be different if it has good politics - politics which unites the country and leaders who are attuned to the people's aspirations.The political system must be sound and people must believe in it, he said. "People must feel that this is theirs... Then the system can work."

Seeking the will to keep striving to do betterRally speech less about celebrating how far Singapore has come than about contemplating what more it needs to do
By Lydia Lim, Associate Opinion Editor, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Leadership succession was planned as a small section in this year's National Day Rally speech, but the issue assumed added significance when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unexpectedly took ill while delivering the annual address.He had been speaking for just over two hours when he felt unwell and was escorted off the stage at ITE College Central.The medical team on site attended to him and assessed his condition to be not serious.Mr Lee resumed speaking after a break of over an hour - the audience welcomed him back with a standing ovation - and he finished just before 11pm.

Earlier, when addressing the question of how Singapore can secure its place in the world, he mentioned the need for a small country to have a network of friends, and said "that is why I have been busy with foreign trips this year".Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam later cited Mr Lee's "very tough schedule" as a possible factor in his feeling faint after prolonged standing.

At the Rally, the most important political speech of the year, Mr Lee chose to grapple with a number of difficult issues. The speech was short on feel-good human interest stories and announcements of fresh government largesse - a mainstay of many recent speeches.

The focus was instead on giving a realistic assessment of the threats and challenges facing Singapore, from economic disruption to terrorism to disputes in the region over territory and sea lanes.

But what the speech was not short on was hope, for it summed up Singapore's determination to do what it must to meet and overcome divisive and disruptive forces so as to remain a peaceful, pluralist society.

One aspect that stood out was how Mr Lee broached the twin sensitive issues of race and religion.

He called out religious practices which are exclusivist in nature and cause believers to live apart from those who do not share their faith.

Foreign preachers, whether Christian, Hindu or Muslim, who fail to understand the local context and who preach such exclusivist practices and doctrines, have been banned from entering Singapore, he said.

"Ours is a multiracial society. There has to be give and take. Each community has to engage and understand each other, and not segregate itself from other communities. We have to respect one another's religions; we cannot treat other groups as infidels," he said, warning that "if religious groups take an exclusivist approach, and discourage interaction and contact with others, we will deepen our fault lines".

Interactions and ties between people of different races are all the more important today in the light of the terrorist threat, for a successful attack - especially if carried out by a Singaporean - would surely place society under "enormous strain".

Turning to race, Mr Lee stressed the need for the Chinese, the majority race here, to make accommodation for members of the minority races in relation to the elected presidency, for the larger good of national unity.

The Constitution will be changed to ensure someone from a minority race is elected president from time to time.

In his speech in Mandarin, Mr Lee appealed to his listeners' sense of history and reminded them of the principles on which Singapore was built.

"Multiculturalism is our founding ideal, the reason why we became independent and the basis on which we built Singapore," he said.

The social harmony that Singapore enjoys today, he added, is "the result of the pioneer generation, especially the strong commitment from the Chinese community. They worked with the Government to build the foundations of a multiracial and harmonious society".

Neither tolerance nor accommodation of minorities are matters that come naturally to societies. If left to evolve on their own, the result could well be the very opposite.

In holding the line on what is expected of citizens of a pluralist society, Mr Lee is thus doing the right thing.

No doubt, some will criticise him but, after a strong win at the polls last year, he can afford to expend some political capital on these efforts.

The work of building a multiracial society is never done for a country's laws and institutions have to constantly evolve in response to changing circumstances.

Perhaps that is why Mr Lee chose to end his speech on an unusual note, that of discontent - and not just ordinary, everyday discontent but "divine discontent".

He shared this wish after explaining that someone posed the God question to him at a dialogue.

Discontent is a good way to end a Rally that was less about celebrating how far Singapore has come than about contemplating what more it needs to do, as it marks 51 years of independence, to secure its future.

Making Singapore a place where millennials can chase dreams
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 22 Aug 2016Singapore must be a place where young people can chase their dreams - in both their careers and family life, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.A week after national swimmer Joseph Schooling, 21, won the nation's first gold medal at the Olympics, Mr Lee focused a section of his National Day Rally speech on millennials - in what seems to be his first public use of the term referring to those who were born in or came of age around the year 2000.There are about half a million millennials in Singapore now, between 16 and their early 30s.They are, said Mr Lee, an important group entering an important stage in their lives.

In his prepared remarks, he said: "Singapore must be a place where millennials can chase their dreams - not just in their careers, but also in families, which add meaning to our lives.

"Living in Singapore, millennials should see family as achievable, enjoyable and celebrated," he said.

The Government has looked into three areas to help this group of Singaporeans have families, Mr Lee said.

They are: quicker access to public housing for those settling down, provision of quality pre-school services that are accessible and affordable, and better support for work and life aspirations.

Over the years, the Government has rolled out a raft of measures to this end.

In terms of public housing, for example, the Parenthood Priority Scheme was launched in 2013 to give first-timer married couples who are expecting or who have a citizenchild aged below 16 priority in getting a flat.

The scheme sets aside 30 per cent of flats in new Build-To-Order projects and 50 per cent of balance flats for such couples.

To help ensure that quality early childhood education is affordable and accessible to all, 20,000 new childcare places will be launched by next year.

There will also be enhanced pre-school subsidies.

"We will give every support and encouragement to families so that families can thrive - essential if the Singapore story is to have more chapters," said Mr Lee.

Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, who is also in charge of population issues, will speak more about the subject later this year, he said.

When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was taken ill on Sunday night during his National Day Rally speech, he suffered what doctors call vasovagal syncope.It refers to a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure because of dehydration or standing too long.Commonly, it is described as feeling faint. It happens when a person is dehydrated owing to not drinking enough liquids. The volume of blood in the body is reduced and not enough is pumped from the heart to the rest of the body, including the brain, said cardiologist Paul Chiam of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.Similarly, when a person stands still for too long, blood pools in the legs and not enough goes to the brain. He would start to feel light- headed. Dr Chiam said: "We see vasovagal syncope often at parades."The way to prevent it is to wiggle your toes and tighten the leg muscles regularly.Vasovagal syncope has no long-term ill effects, unless it happens frequently. Even then, the biggest worry is when the person faints, falls and hits his head.

Dr Chiam said: "Once you lie down, you will recover in a few seconds as blood flows to the brain."

Could it have been a stroke?

It was the first thought that crossed the mind of Professor Tan Huay Cheem, director of the National University Heart Centre, Singapore, who had watched PM Lee live on television on Sunday.

Mr Lee had trembled and faltered, and was gripping the sides of the rostrum. He looked pale.

"I had the fright of my life. I thought he had a stroke," said Prof Tan. But he soon realised it was not even a minor stroke because "he could walk and smile" as he was supported off the stage.

The fact that PM Lee could return to finish his speech left no doubt that it was vasovagal syncope.

"People who have a stroke don't recover so quickly," said Prof Tan.

Many things can trigger a fainting spell, including exhaustion, prolonged stress, anger, and being in a hot and stuffy environment.

PM Lee has had a hectic schedule in the past weeks, with three official visits in July - to Malaysia, Mongolia and the United States - followed by events at the national and constituency levels almost daily this month.

Signs of imminent fainting include blurred vision, seeing stars or bright sparkles, dizziness and nausea, Prof Tan added.Both doctors stressed that vasovagal syncope is temporary and has no bad after-effects. Said Prof Tan: "Many of us will feel faint or even faint some time in our lives."

Standing together to face down challenges
The Straits Times, 23 Aug 2016In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained the challenges facing Singapore. Here are excerpts on terrorism, the review of the elected presidency and leadership succession, including portions of his speech that he did not deliver but were taken as read due to his being taken ill. Mr Lee resumed speaking after a break.

Terrorist groups are active all around us in South-east Asia. In Indonesia, the arrests of Gigih Rahmat Dewa and his group in Batam caught our attention. They were planning to attack Singapore, to fire a rocket to hit Marina Bay Sands (MBS) from Batam.In Singapore, the threat is not just external but also domestic.Singaporeans are not entirely immune to jihadist propaganda.

We have arrested a dozen Singaporeans who have been radicalised. Some had surfed jihadist websites, some had listened to extremist radio stations in our region, some were radicalised by friends.Most were self-radicalised.Several tried to go to the Middle East to join ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) - a few succeeded and are still there.

A few were prepared to mount attacks in Singapore, including one who planned to kill the President or the PM. We continue to pick up a steady trickle of such people, one or two a month.

Just these last two days, you would have seen the news that the police had dealt with four Singaporeans who had been radicalised, and planning to go to Syria.

Gigih's plot to attack MBS is not the only definite plan by terrorists to attack targets in Singapore. We know of others. We have quietly acted on the information and taken precautions, stepped up patrols and raised protection for major events and for prominent premises.

Sometimes we have shifted and rescheduled events because of these threats. So when you see a patrol in the city, or some extra security in some areas, it may be we are just taking precautions, or doing a show of force as deterrence.

But it could also be in response to a real threat we know about.

Fortunately, we have not been attacked so far, but what happens when the terrorists get through, and an attack occurs in Singapore?

If the terrorists are from abroad, it may be easier for us to stand together. But if the terrorist turns out to be a Singaporean, one of our own, like what happened in Nice (where the truck driver was French), our multiracial society will come under enormous strain.

How will we react?

Look at other countries. People react in two possible ways.

One, they show a collective will to stand together.

After an attack, people help one another, even strangers. This happened in Paris after the major attack last November. Parisians stepped up to offer shelter and free taxi rides to those stranded, donated blood at hospitals, Muslims and non-Muslims came together, and defied the terrorists, resolved to carry on with normal life and not be cowed.

The other reaction is distrust and suspicion. Different communities fear and blame each other, racial attacks increase. In Paris, we saw some of this too; mosques and Muslim shops were vandalised, Muslims were physically assaulted, especially women and girls wearing religious attire.

The question is: Which will happen in Singapore?

It comes down to our collective resolve to stand with each other.

That, in turn, depends on how well we have prepared ourselves before an attack. To build trust, to strengthen bonds, to maintain and expand our common space, so that we feel instinctively as one people.

One big plus is that our religious and community leaders have taken courageous stands. They condemn terrorist attacks, they refute extremist views, they make clear that terrorists do not represent Islam, or Singapore Muslims. They lead by example, and guide their communities to stand together.

They also understand that ours is a multiracial society; there has to be give and take. Each community has to engage and understand each other, and not segregate itself from other communities. We have to respect one another's religions, we cannot treat other groups as infidels.

If religious groups take an exclusivist approach and discourage interaction and contact with others, we will deepen our fault lines.

Imagine if only the Chinese wished each other at Chinese New Year, only Muslims could say Selamat Hari Raya to one another, only Hindus exchanged Deepavali greetings, and only Christians said Merry Christmas? It would be a very different, and a very troubled, Singapore. This is fundamental - that all religions in Singapore practise their faith in our multiracial and multi-religious context.

But it is not so in many other countries. It may be the same religion, but the practice and teaching vary from country to country, and sometimes these practices and teachings are exclusivist and intolerant. So we get foreign preachers visiting Singapore who don't understand our context and want to preach their exclusivist practices and doctrines here. That would cause us serious problems. From time to time, we have banned such preachers from entering Singapore: Christian, Hindu and also Muslim preachers.

Our Muslim leaders have expressed concerns to us about such Muslim preachers. I am glad that they are vigilant, making sure that the Islam preached and practised in Singapore suits our multiracial context.

That is why Muis (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) and Pergas (Singapore Islamic scholars and religious teachers association) have the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS).

The ARS ensures that our religious teachers and scholars are reliable guides for the community. About 80 per cent of our asatizah (Islamic teachers) are already recognised. We need to strengthen the ARS.

I welcome the call from Malay/Muslim community leaders to make the ARS compulsory, that is, all asatizah must be registered members of the ARS. Asatizah who are educated abroad must attend a professional development course before they get registered, so that they understand our local context.

I support these proposals.

I commend the Malay/Muslim community for taking the initiative to deal with a sensitive problem.

These measures will ensure that all asatizah in Singapore understand how Islam is practised here, and can guide their students to live in harmony with fellow Singaporeans of all races and religions.

We face a challenging security landscape today. The regional strategic balance is shifting.

New dynamics between the powers and within Asean mean a more complicated and less tranquil South-east Asia.

Terrorism threatens our safety and social fabric. Our diplomats and security forces, the Home Team and SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) are doing excellent work.

But they alone cannot guarantee our security and safety, or hold us together.

All of us must do our part.

Understanding our national interest, and supporting Singapore in our relations with other countries. Preparing ourselves to deal with terrorism, and standing together after a terrorist attack.

I will be launching the SG Secure movement in September.

It is a call to action to all Singaporeans, to be sensitised, trained and mobilised to protect our society from a terrorist attack.Ultimately, what matters most is our resolve to hold together and fight to defend our place in the world.GOOD POLITICSThis leads me to the third question: How do we ensure good politics for Singapore? I have described some of our strategies, to ensure that we progress together, to keep our place in the world, but for all these plans to work, Singapore must have good politics. If our political system malfunctions, if we fail to produce good leaders whom we trust and work with, if we cannot work together and are divided among ourselves, then all our best-laid plans will come to naught.

Our politics must unite the country and uphold our multiracial society. Our leaders must be attuned to the people's aspirations and respond to their concerns. Our political system must be sound.

People must feel that it is a legitimate system, that the leaders they elect do represent them, that the government is their government.

We have a good political system, a parliamentary system, inherited from the British and adapted over time to fit our needs.

We introduced Non-Constituency MPs and Nominated MPs to have more diverse voices in Parliament.

We created group representation constituencies (GRCs) to uphold multiracial politics, and many other changes, big and small.

One major change was to make the president an elected office.

The president is the head of state and the symbol of the nation.

In addition, he has been given an important new role: He holds the second key over reserves and appointments.

Therefore, instead of being chosen by Parliament, he has to be elected by the people of Singapore.

We have operated this two-key system for 25 years, and made many adjustments to it, but some aspects have not been revised. We need to bring them up to date.

In January, I appointed a Constitutional Commission, chaired by the Chief Justice, to review three things: to consider how the president can give more weight to the advice of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA); to update the criteria for someone to be a candidate for president; to ensure that minorities regularly have a chance to become president.The Commission submitted its report to me last week.In all three areas, it made recommendations to improve on current arrangements. We are still studying the report and will release it soon. In principle, we accept its main recommendations.

Thereafter, we will publish a White Paper on how exactly we will make the changes. Then we will table a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament. When the Bill comes up for the Second Reading, we will have a full debate.

Tonight, I won't talk about the commission's specific recommendations.

I want to explain why we are reviewing the elected presidency, tell you why in these three areas we should make changes.

First, strengthening the role of the CPA. When we designed the system, we had in mind not just an elected president, the person elected by voters, but a president advised by a Council of Presidential Advisers so that when the president makes decisions, he will do so with the benefit of the collective experience and judgment of the CPA.

We envisaged that over time, as the CPA became more established, we would build it up further. The CPA arrangements have worked well. The changes which are being proposed to the CPA are incremental and straightforward.

The second issue to review is the qualifying criteria to become a candidate for president.

The main purpose of the elected president scheme is to give the president the mandate to decide on two major matters: reserves and appointments.

We have built up our reserves through many years of hard work and prudent spending. We need to make sure that the government of the day will spend within its means, and not fritter away reserves accumulated by previous generations and governments.

A clean, competent public service is one of our unique strengths and enduring competitive advantages.

We need to make doubly sure that people appointed to key posts are capable, upright and will uphold our system of government - for example, the managing director (of the) Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the chief of defence force, the chief justice, the director of CPIB (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau).

The president who safeguards reserves and appointments must have the right experience to decide whether the Government's Budgets and spending proposals are sound and justified, to judge the character, motivation, integrity, ability of the names put up, to know what advice to seek and accept. That is why candidates must meet the qualifying criteria before they stand for election as president, to have held key appointments in the public service like Speaker, chief justice, ministers, permanent secretaries, or had experience in the private sector running large and complex companies, like Singtel, DBS and Keppel Corp.

The Constitution defines these as companies with $100 million paid-up capital, but this $100 million paid-up capital criterion is out of date.

When we set it 25 years ago, our economy was much smaller, and our reserves too. Now our economy has grown, government spending and reserves have increased.

Let me share with you some numbers: the GDP (gross domestic product) was $71 billion in 1990 and $402 billion in 2015; CPF balances were $41 billion in 1990 and $300 billion in 2015; MAS Official Foreign Reserves were $48 billion in 1990 and $351 billion in 2015; Temasek's net portfolio value was $9 billion in 1990 and $266 billion in 2015.

The benchmark companies which we had in mind when setting the qualifying criteria - Singtel, DBS, Keppel - have also grown much larger. Relatively speaking, a $100 million company is no longer large and complex.There are many more of them.

In 1993, there were about 158 $100 million companies.

Today there are 2,000.

Today, running a $100 million company is no longer commensurate with the responsibilities of the president.

We have to update the benchmark. The president has to make difficult decisions, not just checking that numbers add up or that accounts are properly prepared, but economic and policy judgments.

If the Government states that the Budget balance will have $x billion of surplus, is that credible? If the Government asks to draw $x billion from the reserves for some purpose, is it wise and justified?

Is a person proposed for a job well suited for the responsibilities?

Will he measure up to the demands of the job? These are real and difficult choices. The president must get them right.

During the global financial crisis, the world economy was crashing, the international financial system had frozen up and our economy was plummeting. Many jobs and businesses were at grave risk.

I went to the President - then Mr S R Nathan - to explain this, and ask him for permission to draw from the reserves. How much? $5 billion to save businesses and jobs, especially through the Jobs Credit Scheme; more money to guarantee all bank deposits in Singapore - even foreign deposits in foreign banks here - backed by $150 billion of our reserves, to maintain confidence in our financial system.

We were not certain whether our plans would work, or whether they would be sufficient.

The President had to judge whether the Government had got it right, whether its recommendations were sound.

The ministries and MAS briefed him and the CPA. Mr Nathan consulted the CPA, thought it over carefully, and gave us permission. We promptly implemented our plans and it turned out we did the right thing. Because of our intervention, when the outlook changed, we bounced back quickly and did not lose many jobs.

We were even able to make good the reserves that we had drawn out.

In fact, we came through so smoothly, some Singaporeans didn't even realise we had been through a crisis!

It is critical decisions like this which the president has to make in the midst of uncertainty and crisis, drawing on all his experience, ability and judgment. That is why we need the best qualified person and the right qualifying criteria.PRESIDENT FROM MINORITY RACEThirdly, we need a safeguard to ensure that from time to time, a minority - a Malay, Indian or Eurasian, that is. a non-Chinese Singaporean - becomes president, because this is a multiracial society.Multiracialism is the fundamental reason why we became a nation in the first place.

As Mr Lee Kuan Yew said right at the beginning: "This is not a Malay nation, not a Chinese nation, not an Indian nation. Everybody will have a place in Singapore."

The president is the head of state, he symbolises our nation.

Every Singaporean has to be able to identify with him, every citizen has to know that someone of his community can become president and in fact, from time to time, does become president, whether he is Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian, or some other race.

Over 50 years, we have made significant progress in becoming one people, regardless of race, language and religion.

CNA (Channel NewsAsia) and IPS (Institute of Policy Studies) did a poll recently.

It showed strong support for meritocracy. The majority believe race does not influence success (75 per cent), that the interests of one's own race should not come before the interests of other races.

This view is held by all races, including the Chinese majority! This is the result of much toil and effort over decades.

We brought people together, we acknowledged our diversity frankly and honestly, we did not pretend that race and religion did not matter. We worked hard against the natural flow to expand our common space, using English as our common working language, mixing all races together in HDB estates so that there are no enclaves or ghettos, implementing the Ethnic Integration Policy to prevent HDB estates from becoming re-segregated, reciting the Pledge in schools every day.

We also came down hard on chauvinists who try to play up racial sentiments.

Notwithstanding the progress, we are not a homogeneous society. When it comes to personal choices - for example whom you marry, whom your best friends are, who are your business partners - race still matters.

Thus it is not surprising that in elections, race is still a factor and other things being equal, a minority candidate is at a disadvantage.

It is the same in other multiracial societies. In choosing the head of state, they often consciously arrange for minorities to be appointed or elected, so that minorities feel assured of their place. For example, Canada, an English-speaking country with a large French minority (22 per cent), alternates between an English- and a French-speaking governor-general.

New Zealand, with Asian immigrants and a Maori indigenous population, regularly appoints a non-white governor-general.

The current one, Lieutenant-General Jerry Mateparae, is a distinguished Maori and former chief of defence force.

His predecessor, Sir Anand Satyanand, is ethnic Indian.

In all these countries, nobody questions the fitness of the head of state, just because there is an arrangement or special effort to find one belonging to the minority group.

If we ask Singaporeans what race would you like your president to be, each race prefers their own to be president! Most Singaporeans will accept a president of a different race, but not all.

Seen in perspective, we have made great progress in becoming one people.

I am also glad that younger Singaporeans are more willing to accept a president of a different race than older singaporeans.

But in an election for president, race still does matter, and will matter for a long time to come.

When we created the elected president, we knew this would be an issue, but we had to address a more pressing issue then - finding suitable candidates to stand.

We did not have multiple candidates contesting a hot election, putting a good minority candidate at a disadvantage, so we decided not to make any special arrangements for minorities, and instead watch carefully how things worked out.

Over the last 25 years, we were fortunate to have had one minority elected president, Mr S R Nathan, who served with distinction for two terms. He is loved by many Singaporeans, of all races.

However, he was elected unopposed, both times.Today, the environment has changed. Elections are hotly contested. It will be harder for a minority candidate, however capable or qualified, to win.Before presidents were elected, when Parliament chose the president, we had presidents from all races - Encik Yusof Ishak, Dr Benjamin Sheares, Mr Devan Nair, and Mr Wee Kim Wee.

Yusof Ishak was our very first president, and so far our only Malay president. If the next several presidents are also not Malay, after some time, Malay Singaporeans will start to feel uneasy, and understandably so.

Likewise with Indian Singaporeans, if we do not have an Indian president for a long time after Mr Nathan. Minorities will ask: Do we have a place in Singapore? Are we truly equal?

The Chinese majority may become less sensitive to the needs of other races. We will weaken the sense of shared nationhood, not just among the minorities, but for all Singaporeans. We have to do something about the problem well before that.

This problem is not easy to solve. Meritocracy and equal treatment are fundamental ideals of our society. They have become part of our basic mindset, including among the minorities.

Some people fear that if we make an explicit arrangement to ensure a minority president from time to time, it will compromise the principle of meritocracy.

The non-Chinese do not want it to appear that we have lowered standards for the sake of having a minority president.This makes it a delicate problem.

The solution is legally hard to draft and politically sensitive to explain. Psychologically, it will take time to be accepted. But it is a real problem, and we have to solve it.

We must ensure that minorities get elected as president from time to time. We can and will make sure that all candidates for president, including minority candidates, fully meet the qualifying criteria with no compromise.

Then it will be clear that when we do have a minority president, he will be as fully qualified as any other president.

This is not the first time we have introduced special provisions for minorities in our Constitution.

We did so with GRCs. When the idea was first floated, the minority communities had misgivings.

They felt they did not need it, that it would be patronising, that they were quite happy with the status quo. But now after 30 years, people have come to accept GRCs.

GRCs have become an important stabiliser in our system, ensuring that there will always be minority MPs in Parliament, whatever the election outcome.

GRCs have also pushed politics towards the centre, favouring multiracial parties and multiracial policies, because all parties have to field multiracial teams and win votes from all races.

Similarly, we need a mechanism to make sure that from time to time, we have a minority president.

The Constitutional Commission has proposed a mechanism.

We want a minority Singaporean regularly to become president, to represent what we feel about Singapore and our ideal of a multiracial society, to follow through at the apex of our system - the head of state - all the things we are doing in schools, in workplaces, through SG Secure, to strengthen racial harmony, so that a generation from now, Singaporeans of all races will feel even closer to one another.

But remember, no matter how carefully we design the elected president system, or our whole political system, there is no absolutely foolproof safety net.

We will still always be on a high wire. Our politics can still go wrong. People may be elected who look good, but turn out to be unworthy. Voters may be misled to make unwise decisions through sweet talk and empty promises.

Many new countries like us, and even old countries, have gone wrong. We have been very lucky in Singapore for the last 50 years.

First, very lucky that we had Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team. The people supported him, gave them a long run to set us on the right path.Second, very lucky that Mr Lee and his team were able to self-renew, stay abreast of changes, and keep people's support beyond the first few years, without going wrong or corrupt in office, unlike so many founding leaders of other newly independent countries.

Third, even more remarkable that after Mr Lee stepped down as PM, we went through two leadership transitions, and now beyond Mr Lee's lifetime, the system is still stable, still functioning, and we continue to progress with a new generation born into a very different Singapore with very different expectations and aspirations, yet understanding what is at stake, working closely with Government and supporting policies which will make Singapore succeed for them.

We count our blessings, but we must do our best to make sure that our political system keeps on working properly for Singaporeans.How?LEADERSHIP SUCCESSIONBy having good people in politics - capable, committed, with integrity, forming a strong team together among themselves and with the population of Singapore. That is why one of my most urgent tasks is succession - putting in place the next team to take over from me and my senior colleagues.(PM resumes speaking after a break.)Thank you for waiting for me. I gave everybody a scare. The last time I did this, I was on the parade square in Safti and fainted. I think that's what happened.

I've never had so many doctors look at me all at once.

They think I'm all right but anyway, I'm going to have a full check-up after this. But before that, I'd like to finish my speech.

I think what happened makes it even more important that I talk about it (leadership succession).

We've now got the core team for the next generation in Cabinet. But you know, ministers or not, all of us are mortal. Heng Swee Keat recently gave us a bad scare. Worse than what I gave you just now, much worse.

I am very glad he pulled through, and is steadily recovering his strength. You have seen the video of him leaving the hospital. It is a miracle that he is all right.

The SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force ) team who responded to the emergency call did an excellent job. I'm glad they are here today.

And I should say "thank you" to them because I invited them here as guests and they came to treat me just now. Doctors have recommended that Swee Keat avoid contact with crowds for at least a few more months, to minimise the risk of infection.

So he can't do his usual community and grassroots work for a little while longer. But they have given him the go-ahead to do office work, with minimum interaction. So I have decided that Swee Keat will resume his duties as Minister for Finance.

DPM Tharman (Shanmugaratnam) will stop covering as Acting Minister.

Swee Keat will focus on next year's Budget and the CFE - CFE meaning Committee on the Future Economy. I told him just do the work, minimise contact which is not necessary, avoid getting an infection, it can be troublesome.

Don't shake hands, just do namaste like that. I intend to appoint a second minister to help Swee Keat out with operational responsibilities at MOF (Ministry of Finance), and I've decided to appoint Lawrence Wong.

Progressively, Swee Keat will come back to work.

Building up leadership and preparing for succession is one of my top priorities. Nothing that has happened has changed my timetable, or my resolve to press on with succession.

In the next GE (general election), we will reinforce the team again.

And soon after the next GE, my successor must be ready to take over from me. You cannot wait.I'm sharing my concerns and plans with you because all of us have a role to play building Singapore today. But whom are we building Singapore for? It's not just for ourselves. It's for our children, our grandchildren. It's always been the Singapore story, every generation doing better than the one before, looking ahead, acting now, giving the best chance possible for the next generation.